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The Marigold Murders Vol. 1

The Tina Tan Case Files #1

By Kenneth cruzPublished 3 years ago 10 min read
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PHOTO BY: VECTORSTOCK

Tina flicked her cigarette to the ground, kissing her girlfriend with a gentle yet firm peck and jumped into the small Mini Cooper. “I’m finally going to catch this motherfucker!” She said emphatically. The young slender school teacher looked upon her lover with a sincerely concerned glare. “Tina, be careful… Don’t be dumb” Mary said her sundress dancing in the summers breeze like a child playing in a bed of flowers.

Tina nodded. “I know motherfucker. I got this!” She said firmly as she snapped her Raybans in place and sped off. She was a slender yet firm woman, her wrinkles gave a certain strength and character to her look. Combined with unique yet fashionably masculine attire she came off almost as Filipina version of Ellen Degeneres. Only Tina wasn’t an entertainer or this ultra charismatic individual. No if Tina had a certain level of charisma it came from her raw and sincere nature. Never afraid to speak her mind or express how she felt Tina always wore her heart on her sleeve, and people often admired and respected her for it.

In fact when she was promoted to detective two years ago many would often joke that she was the realest on the force. Now today after years she would prove the statement true. It had been over 15 years since the Marigold Murders had begun. Since the beginning she had been a part of the prolific murderer’s crime spree, and what a dark macabre crime spree it was. The crimes were some of the most heinous ever committed rivaling that of Green River Killer, Ted Bundy, And John Wayne Gacy. 30 victims all female youths between usually around 36 inches long and not older than 7 or 8, other than that there was no m.o. when it came to looks or race; much like marigolds the victims included, blondes, gingers, asians and mixed races.

All of the victims having been defiled and abused in the most heinous ways imaginable then left in a field, pond, or scenic place, their bodies adorned; if one could call it that, with Marigolds. Tina could still remember the first time she laid eyes on one the killer's first victims. The pale blue lifeless face was forever etched in her mind. The face that had woken her up for years in cold sweats and night terrors. She only needed to see that face once and instantly she knew what pain and trauma was.

Today she longed to end all that. The purp or suspect was a Mexcian male in his mid to early 40s. He was a local teacher and had it not been for the flower shop's detailed description of the strange man who was obsessed with Marigolds, who knows how long the killer could have carried on. He was a college professor and taught Spanish and Forensic Science, and up until now had been masterful at covering his tracks. Tina chuckled to herself at the irony of how Lucky’s Flower shop would be his undoing. Strangely enough it was commonplace, as only about 5% of serial killers are actually caught by Forensic evidence and most were caught by tips or being linked to victims. Jason Rodriguez was different, without anyone being able to establish any link involving the victims.

Tina hoped to change that as she raced to Rodriguez’s suspected location with hopes of reaching some revelation as to how Rodriguez found his victims. She couldn’t wait to spit in his face and slap cuffs on him, and end his devilish homicidal reign. Until today she had felt conquered by the man, and deep down she found it strange how someone you didn’t even know could have such impact on your life. She had spent the last decade having nightmares about a man she had never seen or known. Still at least today the scenario would flip and she would have the same halting impact on his life that he held on hers.

The car tires screeched and squealed as she made her way to his location, like a shark hunting its prey. There was a missing girl in the area Sabrina Gosett that would probably be enough to circumvent a warrant “Exigent Circumstances” they called it. For Tina it didn’t matter, maybe the girl was a victim to Rodriguez, or maybe she wasn’t either way it was enough for her to act. She would hear something strange and break in ending this sick motherfucker's terror, she thought to herself as she brought the small car to a zippy stop. “That’s go Kart handling motherfuckersl.” She thought to herself lost in gratitude and self admiration as she parked her car in a tight spot near Rodriguez’s home.

She raced from the car drawing her pistol in one swift motion. Approaching the small shabby dilapidated red home left a sinking feeling in her stomach. In fact it was almost nauseating. She knew it was a gamble coming to take a look around without backup and on a tip that was as much of a hunch as anything, but even gambiling didn’t explain the sense of dread that embodied her like embalming fluid filling a corpse.

In fact as she drew near a strange smell filled Tina’s nostrils. She raised her pistol high to her forehead. Beads of sweat glistened and formed like tiny soldiers lining up on her brow. Tina couldn’t explain it, but inside her core she knew something was wrong. As she stealthily made her way around the home trying to peer in windows and survey the scene, she could spy flickering candle lights and painted face masks adorning the walls. “Maybe it was just some freak obsessed with Dia De Los Muertos” she thought to herself, trying to silence and deny her inner voice.

Tina let out a deep long sigh as she reasoned with herself. She looked at the side door with a delicate smile knowing the lock would pose no challenge. She hadn’t learned to pick locks from the academy. Strangely enough she acquired her lock picking skills from her uncle in the Philippines who was a professional thief. She did her best for the man, sending money when she could and hoping the best for him. Today there was only a deep sense of gratitude and satisfaction as she poked and prodded the lock till it gave way with a gentle click. “Ah at least I alway find the spot.” Tina thought to herself with a chuckle. She eased the door open entering the small old fashioned yellow kitchen that married scents of fresh spices, chemicals, and flowers into some strange concoction that seemed one part failed experiment and one part failed recipe. Tina doubled over fighting the urge to hurl as the scent poked and prodded Tina’s stomach like a grand pianist striking the ivorys of a piano.

Things only got worse as the petite slender rock of a woman forced herself down the long hall clutching her 9mm tightly in hand. The painted white mask and skeletons that hung on the walls surrounding her all seemed to be glaring, almost staring her down with a devilish and taunting grin. Fear was something new to Tina. Up until she met Mary a year ago at her nieces school she had become sort of a robot devoid of feelings and emotions. That was at least up until she saw that someone so gentle and innocent could care and love her. What would have once been an exciting manhunt was now a frightful event. Visions of her young lover flashed in her head like scenes from an old View-Master toy. She swallowed the lump in her throat and wiped away the tear that rolled down her golden cracked skin. She realized now things were different. The stakes had changed and she couldn’t imagine leaving Mary behind or not being with her,

Still she had come here with an inclination and purpose. With another long breath Tina stepped in the dark candle lit room, her heart sinking like a struck ship falling to depths she had never experienced. There in the center of the room was a makeshift altar surrounded by flickering candles, flowers, candy, and a strange assortment of decorations. “No” “Motherfucker” Tina shouted as she rushed to the altar and saw the pale blue morbid resemblance of what was once Sabrina Gossett.

Her skin was a ghastly blue, her eyes bulging and popping out her skull. Along her skin; Marigolds crudely stapled and sewn onto her flesh. Her lips were a blackish purple not unlike a bruised plum, but devoid of any semblance of life or plumpness. She wore a long gown that did well to cover some of the bruising that painted her lifeless skin like camouflage. Tina didn’t need to take a pulse, she could tell by the look in the lifeless corpse that she had been killed by asphyxiation, probably murdered earlier that morning. Tina fell upon the young girl uncontrollable streams of tears falling like debris in a waterfall. “Not again!” Another young girl that she had failed, she thought to herself. Her heart filled like a helium balloon with resentment and disgust, and she could barely handle the burden on her soul.

She had affected Rodriguez’s work. Somehow he must have gotten tipped off because everything about this particular cadaver and murder seemed rushed. Gone was the artistry and perfection that the other victims had encapsulated. This time Rodriguez acted in haste. Tina glanced over the victim once more, seeing her hands nailed at her sides. Horror gripped the detective once more as she came across the letter nailed into Sabrina’s palm. She ripped the piece of lined spiral notebook paper off the victim with rage unprepared for what followed.

“Ah Tina my how you have grown. It appears you’ve followed me someway with hopes of bringing my celebration to an end. It's been many years watching you grow. I should have ended you when you were young, plucking you from this reality like a prized little marigold. Now you’ve grown into this hard jaded cigarette smelling filth. I prefer only releasing those young and pure, inhabiting their bodies and souls, so that when they are left to roam its me that they must come revist. Maybe your little prize is worthy, I’ll look into that. As for you, your filth that needs to be cleaned and dealt with at a later time. For now I must make haste, but trust our time will come. Meanwhile you can relish in my latest work. A pure and beautiful untainted creature, plucked from reality and made mine for eternity. I wish you luck Tina, until we meet again.”

Tina let out a long bellowing scream that resonated pain. Her chest felt like it was trapped by a barbell to the point where it could erupt. She struggled to catch each breath and regain composure, all the while visions of her beloved Mary danced through her head. If he even tried to touch her. She couldn’t even complete the unfathomable thought as dread encompassed her. She reached for her phone calling in for backup now having confirmed the victims whereabouts. The force wouldn’t question her, in fact they would congratulate her for closing in on this psycho. For Tina it was a punic victory and her trophy was another horrific face to add to the night terrors. Another victim of the Marigold killer, the man that changed her life many years ago, when she came face to face with one of his first victims beneath that frozen pond in Vermilion, Ohio. She could still see the look of terror on that young girl's face like it happened only moments ago, only now it was accompanied with visions of Sabrina and even her beloved Mary. She wiped her tears and took a long look at the body of deceased young child, vowing to herself that she would bring an end to the Marigold Murders

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